Roller skate



Au 4, 192's.

W. H. ROBERTSON ROLLER sxm: Filed June 2; 1922' INVENTOR gs wimw Patented Aug. 4, i925.

WILLIAM H. ROBERTSON, E DAYTON, OHIO.

ROLLER SKATE.

Application filed June 2, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, i VILLIAM H. RomanesoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton in the county of Montgomery and State of @hio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roller Skates, of which I declare the following to be a ful clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to con struct a roller skate in such a way as to largely eliminate the peril to the skater of falling down while learning to skate. The skate is intended, however, to be used not only while learning to skate but also after learning. it might be termed a safety roller skate.

Another object of the invention is to make it easier for a person using the skates to propel himself forward.

Another object of the invention is make it easier for a person using the skates to climb inclined surfaces. This will make pos sible the extensive use of the skates for climbing inclines and coasting down, or for other purposes involving the locomotion of individuals.

The safety features of the skate consist first, in constructing wheels of each state. preferably rear wheels in such a way that the skate cannot normally roll backward.

This of course limits the skater to a forward motion but does not prevent him from turning around. He can feel assured, however that in at least one direction i. e. to the rear, the skates cannot slip out from under him.

Furthermore since by this provision the skates cannot slip backward it will give the skater a resistance to push against when trying to go forward or when trying to climb inclines.

The second safety feature consists in a construction by which if the skates start to slip forward from under the skater the lifting of the toes which naturally occurs insuch an event will lock the rear wheels against forward motion, thereby, stopping the slipping and giving the user a resistance to push against so that he can throw a foot backward and recover his balance.

In the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification, Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of one skate and Fig. 2 shows a bottom view.

The front wheels 1 are provided with Serial No. 565,293.

rubber tires 1" and are mounted on a shaft 2. Ball bearings are not shown because they do not form a part of this invention but there is nothing in the construction herein specified to prevent the use of ball bearings when such are desired. Shaft 2 is supported'by two levers 3 connected by hubs 3 and 9 and also connected by a yoke 7 same being a common integral extension of the two levers.

Said levers are mounted on a pin 4: held by a bracket 5 fast to a plate 8. On the plate 8 are shoe clamps 8 straps 8 and heel guide 8. A spring 6 tends to turn the levers 3 in a counterclockwise direction. The weight of the skater however will normally prevent this motion and keep the yoke 7 of levers 3 in firm contact with the plate 8.

Pins 10 on levers 3 are in open slots in the forward ends of levers 11 which levers are connected by a hub 12 and are pivoted on a. pin 12 supported by a bracket 13 fast to the plate 8. On the rear end of each lever 11 is a pin 1% pressing against a spring 15 which is mounted on stud 16 on the lever 18. The spring 15 is so formed as to press tightly on both sides of the hub 17 which is fast to the lever 18. On the levers 18 are studs 20 and on these studs rollers 19 are very loosely mounted.

Two wheels 24 with rubber tires 24* are loose on a shaft 26 which is held by a bracket 23 fast to the plate 8. The inside portions of the wheels 24 are counterbored to form an inner cylindrical surface 25 on each wheel. These surfaces 25 are in contact with rollers 19. Portions 21 of the brackets 27 are extended within the cylindrical surfaces 27 and on these eXtendedport-ions are formed surfaces 22 and 23. Surfaces 22 are shown in contact with rolls 19.

In operation the lever 11 through the pin 14 the spring 15 and the pin 20 puts a. small pressure on rollers 19 which is sufficient to put these rollers in frictional contact with surfaces 25 and 22. Hence if it were attempted to roll the skate rearward the rollers 19 would wedge between the surfaces 22 and 25 thereby stopping the rearward motion of the skate. However if the toe of the skater was lifted, the spring 6 would turn the lever 3 counterclockwise causing the pin 1 1 to press on the lower end of the spring 15 thereby turning the lever 18 counterclockwise and pushing the rollers 19 between surfaces 23 and 25. Then av forward motion of skates would wedge the rollers 19 between the surfaces 23 and 25 and lock the wheels 24 against forward motion.

As the rollers 19 are moved from contact with the surfaces 22 to be in contact with surfaces 23 they cross position where they have ample clearance. In the normal forward rolling of the skates the rollers 19 are jrotat ed towards this position, They move towards it far enough to slip on surface'25 but they do not move far enough to cross the position and get into contact ivithfthe surface 23. The slight pressure of the spring '15 prevents this.

Evidently many different combinations for eontr olling the movements of the skates can be "made by the skater lifting one too or both toes or one heel or both heels.

While the form of mechanism herein shown is admirably adaptedlto fulfil the objects primarily stated, it is not intended to confine the invention to t he form of embodimentherein shown a-n d described as it isy susceptible of embodiment in various forms all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is 1. In a roller skate pressure controlled means for locking the skate against motion to the rear bu't at the same time permltting theskate to roll forward. 7

2. Ina roller skate pressure operated control means whereby removing'pressure from the skate locks the skate against forward motion.

3. In a roller skate, a yielding member subject to pressure of the skaters foot and roller. arresting means icontrolled thereby, whereby removing pressure from the skate locks the skate against forwardmotion and unlocks it for rearward motion.

4.111, a rollenskate, a yielding member subject to pressure of the skaters foot and roller retarding means controlled thereby for normally locking skates against rearward motion said retarding means to be automatically unlocked when pressure is remow ed from front end of-skate.

5. In a rollerskate, a wheel mounted on a bearing,'said bearing being movable relativeto the main body of the skate, and wheel retarding means controlled by the relative movement of the wheel bearing and the main body of tlie skate, the skate being "locked'against rearward'motion in one position of the bearing relative to the skate and unlocked for rearward motion for another position of the bearing relative to "skate. r

(SQ'In a roller skate, a wheel mounted on 'a' 'bea i'in'g movable relative to the skate, but

normally kept in one position by pressure of toe oflskater" and wheel retarding means controlled by the relative movement of the bearing whereby in one relative position the skate is locked against forward motion, said bearing being movable to another relative position when pressure of skaters toe is removed, in which relative position the skate is locked against forward motion.

p 7. In a roller skate, a wheel mounted on hearing movable relative to the main body of skate, a spring tending to hold the said bearing to one relative position but yielding to allow the bearing to occupy another relative position when sul iicient pressure is put on skate and wheel retarding means controlled by the relative movement of said wheel hearing, by which in the first of said positions the wheel is locked to resist turn ing in one direction and in the second of said positions the same wheel is locked to resist turning in the opposite direction.

8. In a roller skate, a wheel mounted on a bearing movable relative to the skate and reversible wheel retarding means controlled by the relative movement of the bearing and skate body whereby in one relative position of said part the skate is locked against rearward motion and unlocked for forward motion and in the other relative position of said bearing skate is locked against forward motion and unlocked for rearward motion. y

In a roller skate, the con'lbi'i'iation with carrying wheels and a pedal portion depres'sible in relation with the carrying wheels of reversible control means controlled by the relative movement of the wheel and pedal portion to permit rotation of the wheels in one direction only when the pedal portion is depressed and to permit rotation of the wheels in the opposite direction only when the pressure upon the pedal portion is relaxed.

10,111 a roller skate, a pedal portion, acarrying wheel yieldingly mounted upon thepedal portion and responding to variations of pressure of the skaters foot upon the-pedal portion, and a reversible clutch device cont-rolled by the yielding movement of the carrying wheel to lock the wheel against rotation in one direction whilepermitting free rotation in the opposite direction when pressure is applied to the pedal POi'blOll, and locking the wheel. against rotation in such opposite direction but permitting free rotation in said :firstmentioned direction when the pressure uponthe pedal is relaxed.

11 In a roller skate, a pedal portion, front andrear carrying wheels, oscillatory levers mounted upon the pedal portion upon which the carrying wheels are mounted for swinging movement to and from the pedal portion, said oscillatory levers being operatively interconnected for movementinfu'nison, and resilient meansagainst the tension its of which the levers and wheels are movable under influence of pressure of the skaters foot upon the pedal portion.

12. In a roller skate, a pedal portion, front and rear carrying wheels yieldingly carried by the pedal portion, yielding resilient means against the tension of which the wheels are movable under influence of the skaters foot, and operative connections between the wheels by which the wheels are caused to yield in unison.

13. In a roller skate, a pedal portion, vibratory front and rear carrying wheels mounted upon the pedal portion, resilient means against the tension of which the Wheels are yieidable under pressure of the skaters foot, and means for transmitting the vibratory movement of one wheel to the other.

14.. In a roller skate, a pedal portion, carrying wheels mounted thereon, reversible clutch means for said carrying wheels by which the wheels may be locked against rotation first in one direction and then in the other and means for controlling the clutch by variation of pressure of the skaters foot upon the pedal portion.

15. In a roller skate, a pedal portion, a pair of oscillatory levers pivoted at mid length points to the pedal portion, said levers being interpivoted one to the other at their mean ends carrying wheels carried by the intcrpivoted levers at their extreme ends and beyond their points of pivotal engagement with the pedal portion, and resilient means againstthe tension of which the wheels and levers are yieldable under pressure applied to the pedal portion.

16. In a traveling device of the character described, a main frame, a carrying wheel having a concentric flange, an abutment member in juxtaposition to the inner face of the concentric flange and forming in conjunction therewith a recess converging in opposite directions one side of which is formed by said flange, a retarding member located in said recess and adapted to become wedged between the flange and abutment in either end of the oppositely converging recess according to the direction of rotation of the wheel to retard the rotation of the wheel, and means for shifting the retarding member from one convergingend of the recess to the other to retard the rotation of the wheel in alternate directions.

17. In a construction of the character described, a main frame, a carrying wheel therefor, and means for retarding the rotation of the wheel including an internal brake ring, a member co-operating therewith and shaped to afford intermediate said member and the interior of the brake ring an oppositely converging recess said brake ring and co-operating member being relatively revoluble, an arresting member located within the recess and adapted to become wedged between said co-operating member and the brake ring at either converging end of the recess in accordance with the direction of rotation of the wheel, a movable carrier for said arresting member and means for shifting said carrier to actuate the arresting member into operative engagement to retard the rotation of said wheel in either direction at the will of an operator.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

WILLIAM H. ROBERTSON. 

